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Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)

by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words

This page relates ‘Bharatashastram and Kohala� of the thesis dealing with Kohala’s contribution to the Sanskrit textual tradition of ancient Indian performing arts. The study focuses specifically on music (Gita), dance (Nritya), and drama (Natya). Although Kohala’s original works have not been found, numerous references to him across Lakshana-Granthas (treatises) and works by modern scholars indicate his significance.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Part 4.3 - 󲹰ٲśٰ and Kohala

The name of Kohala appears several times through the manuscript of 󲹰ٲśٰ. Now, each of these references shall be examined.

i. The following excerpt occurs around folio no. 40.

पुरा -मि-ते� शृङ्गे सुरम्य� हैममण्टप� �
माणिक्� वज्र वैडूर्� विता� परिशोभित� �
�-न् गातसभामध्य� ब्रह्माण जन तेजनम् �
-भोपविष्ट� वरदम� -�-�-� बं
कृता� -पुयो भूता� मतङ्गः पर्यपृच्छत� �
कत� रागा� प्रगातव्या� प्रभात� मुनि सत्त� �
तदैन कत� रागाश्� सायङ्काल� शुभप्रदा� �
मद्दना-कि को�-� रागा—� �
�(र्सि) रागे प्रगीतेतु गातु� श्रोतुस्सुखं भवेत� �
तत� सर्व� श्रोतुमिछा(मि) -वद कोहल तत्त्वतः �
मतङ्गस्य वच� श्रुत्वावदत्कोहल� मुनि� �
सा�-मुनि श्रेष्ठा यद� तत्व� �
इदानी� संप्रवक्ष्यामि रागवेल� वि-यः �
यत्सुरैरपि � ज्ञातं� सु� किन्नर गायक� �
विरागे.... सा� प्रतंश्वणु तत्वतः �

ܰ -mi-te� śṛṅge suramye haimamaṇṭape |
ṇiⲹ vajra ḍūrⲹ Բ pariśobhite ||
pa
-n gātasabhāmadhye brahmāṇa jana tejanam |
-bhopaviṣṭa� varadam -va-bha-ta ba�
ṛt�
-puyo bhūtāpa ٲṅg� paryapṛcchat |
kati 岵� pragātavyā� prabhāte muni sattama |
tadaina kati 岵śca yaṅkāle śܲ󲹱� |
-ki ko�-na —� |
ka
(rsi) rāge pragītetu gātu� śrotussukha� bhavet |
tat śdzٳܳ
(mi) -vada kohala ٲٳٱٲ� |
ٲṅgⲹ śܳٱ屹岹ٰdz󲹱 ܲԾ� |
muni śṣṭtatva |
idānī� saṃpravakṣyāmi rāgavelā vi
-ya� |
yatsurairapi na jñātaṃṣa sura kinnara gāyake |
.... ra prataṃśvaṇu tatvata� |

This reference occurs around the beginning of the codex. It is a conversation between the sages Ѳٲṅg and Kohala. Here, Ѳٲṅg is asking Kohala as to the number of to be sung in the morning and those that are to be sung in the evening. This particular excerpt called Kohala-Ѳٲṅg -ṃv岹, can be found in the text of Kohalamatam[1] and Kohalarahasyam. Interestingly the same matter is also found in the text of Saṅgīta Makaranda[2] of , except that the conversation is presented as being between and 岹.

ii. This is the first available reference to Kohala in this manuscript

विष्णु� लोकगुरुं प्रणम्� शिरस� सन्मार्ग सन्दर्शकम् �
कीर्ति प्रीतिकर� जनस्� लघुन� काले� कामप्रदम� �
सेव्यं सद्यतिभि� धृ� प्लु�- न्यासात्तलोकत्रयम् �
तालाना� कथयामि लक्षणमहं पूर्वोक्� शास्त्� क्रमात� � इत� कोहल वदनम�

ṣṇ� ǰ첹ܰ� praṇamya śira Գ sandarśakam |
īپ īپ첹� janasya laghunā kālena kāmapradam |
𱹲ⲹ� ⲹپ� ṛt pluta
- nyāttalokatrayam |
tālānā� kathayāmi lakṣaṇamaha� pūrvokta śāstra kramāt || iti kohala vadanam
 

This verse appears to be a Nāndī śǰ첹 used by the author of this work. It is noteworthy that the same śǰ첹 has been used as the Իī for the work ṣaṇa[3] and is also found in the printed edition of ṅgīٲūḍāmṇi of Jagadekamalla (ref. p.6, V.42). Interestingly, ṣaṇa also appears to be a part of this codex of 󲹰ٲśٰ, and thus we have a double entry of this śǰ첹. We also find a connection to Kohala in both these instances. In ṣaṇa, this verse follows an introductory passage which attributes the work to dz󲹱峦ⲹ. In the second instance, the reference is more direct and can be seen in the succeeding statement �iti kohala vadanam�.&Բ;

The manuscript catalogue has attributed this particular codex of 󲹰ٲśٰ to Kohala. As it has been discussed in the preceding pages, we can with certainty say that the works 첹Ծ, ṣaṇa () and ṅgīٲūḍāmṇi have definitely not been composed by Kohala. The possibility of connecting Kohala as the author of a portion of this codex exists only in the unknown section. Even in this section, the statement �iti kohala vadanam� rules out the possible authorship of Kohala. Because, it seems redundant for an author of a work to quote his own words. Therefore, it seems more than likely that Kohala was not the author of this section. 

iii.

सदाशिव� शिरो ब्रह्म भरतः कास्यप� मुनि� �
मतङ्गो याष्टिको दुर्गाशक्तिः शार्दूलकोहला �
विशाखिलो दत्तिलश्� कम्बलस्य तलस्�-
-युर्वि—स� रंभार्जुनस्तुम्बुरुनारदौ
आञ्जनेयामातृगुप्तौ रावण� नन्दिकेश्वरः �
स्वाति र्गल� देवराज क्षत्रराजश्च काहल� �
रुक्मसेनोध भपाल� भोजो भूवल्लभस्तथा �
एत� हि नाट्यशास्त्रप्रवक्तारो यु� क्रमात� � इत� कोहल वदनम� �

ś� ś brahma 󲹰ٲ� kāsyapo ܲԾ� |
mataṅgo yāṣṭiko durgāśakti� śārdūlakohalā |
viśākhilo dattilaśca kambalasya talasta
-
-yurvisu raṃbhārjunastumburunāradau
āñjaneyāmātṛguptau rāvaṇo nandikeśvara� |

پ rgalo 𱹲Ჹ ṣaٰᲹś 󲹱� |
rukmasenodha bhapālo bhojo bhūvallabhastathā |
ete hi ṭyśāstrapravaktāro yuga kramāt || iti kohala vadanam ||
 

The Իī śǰ첹 is followed by verses of veneration of earlier authorities on ṭy like ś, Ś, , Bharata, śⲹ貹, Ѳٲṅg, ṣṭ첹, Durgāśakti, Śū, Kohaḷa, վś󾱱, Dattila, Kambala, , Arjuna, Tumburu, 岹, ĀñᲹԱⲹ, Mātrugupta, 屹ṇa, Ի徱ś, Svāti, Devaraja, Kṣatraraja, ḷa, Rukmasena, Bhapāla, Bhoja, Bhūvallabha in chronological order. As mentioned earlier, this entire passage with the exception of the final two lines, is an interpolation from ṅgīٲٲ첹.

In these verses, there is mention of a “Kohaḷa� and a “ḷa�. At this point ṅgīٲٲ첹 reads ‘Rāhala� instead of �󲹱�. It is curious to see the statement �iti kohala vadanam� repeated here too, especially since the name Kohaḷa appears in the verses. Why would Kohala include himself in a verse of veneration to the authorities? He also mentions that this list is chronological and he places himself quite close to the top of the list. This seems to be a little inconsistent.

iv. There is reference to dz󲹱峦ⲹ in the ṣaṇa section in an introductory passage that follows the ṅg峦ṇa.

इह खल� सकलभरतपण्डितमण्डलाखण्डलसकलभरतप्रवर्तकशिखामणि� कोहलाचार्यनामक� परमः कारुणिकः कश्चित्विपश्चित् सकललोकोपकारा� तौर्यत्रिकोपकारा� तौरञ्जकं तदाश्रयत्वेन दशप्राणसमेतं तालस्वरूपं सप्रपञ्च� प्रतिपादयितुकामश्चिकीर्षितस्य निर्विघ्नपरिसमाप्तये सर्वेश्वरनमस्कारात्मकमङ्गलाचरणपूर्वक� चिकीर्षितं प्रतिजानीते—विष्णुमित� �

iha khalu sakalabharatapaṇḍitamaṇḍalākhaṇḍalasakalabharatapravartakaśikhāmaṇi� kohalācāryanāmaka� 貹� kāruṇika� kaścitvipaścit sakalalokopakārāya tauryatrikopakārāya taurañjaka� tadāśrayatvena daśaprāṇasameta� tālasvarūpa� saprapañca� pratipādayitukāmaścikīrṣitasya nirvighnaparisamāptaye sarveśvaranamaskārātmakaṅg峦ṇaū첹� īṣiٲ� پīٱviṣṇumiti ||

Though we find the name of Kohala appearing in this passage, internal evidences in the text indicate that the actual author of ṣaṇa is King ܳٲⲹ of Vijayanagara. This has been discussed in detail in para 4.3.2. Therefore, this reference to Kohala too is inconsequential. 

This leads us to the question as to why the name Kohala has been associated with this codex at all. Evidently, none of the works namely 첹Ծ, ṣaṇa (Tlakalābdhi), ṅgīٲūḍāmṇi or the unknown works have been authored by him. Though there are colophons of 峾峾ٲⲹ and Jagadekamalla in the manuscript, it is curious that the catalogue mentions only the name of dz󲹱峦ⲹkavi. This has perhaps been taken from the introductory paragraph found in the manuscript of ṣaṇa.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Kohalamatam: Kariavattam: Acc no. C.1724: Fol.13

[2]:

ṅgīٲ첹Ի岹 of 岹: 1920: p.14

[3]:

ṣaṇa: GOML: Acc no. R7979: Fol. 3

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